Manure spreader

ABSTRACT

A manure spreader comprising a frame movable over the ground and a container mounted on said frame. A dispensing device is provided for supplying liquid manure from the container to an area under the ground surface. The dispenser has coupling points by means of which it is attachable to the three-point hitch of a tractor or other propelling vehicle.

United States Patent 1191 van den Berg 51 Feb. 26, 1974 1 MANURESPREADER [75] Inventor: Pieter van den Berg, Wilson, NC.

[73] Assignee: The Lely Corporation, Wilson, NC.

[22] Filed: June 28, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 157,467

[52] U.S. Cl. 111/7 [51] Int. Cl A0lc 23/02 [58] Field of SearchIll/6.7; 172/699 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,413,94012/1968 Vissers 111/7 3,378,279 4/1968 Jacobs 2,584,484 2/1952 Mclntosh111/7 X 3,218,999 11/1965 Pattison 111/7 2,843,066 7/1958 Dugan l1l/73,608,645 9/1971 Meiners ll1/7 Primary ExaminerStephen C. PellegrinoAttorney, Agent, or FirmMason, Mason & Albright [5 7] ABSTRACT A manurespreader comprising a frame movable over the ground and a containermounted on said frame. A dispensing device is provided for supplyingliquid manure from the container to an area under the ground surface.The dispenser has coupling points by means of which it is attachable tothe three-point hitch of a tractor or other propelling vehicle.

9 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PAIENTEB H32 6 I974 SHEET 1 OF 6 RM 5 w WY mPAIENTEnFEmmM SHEET 3 BF 6 IINVENTOR r51? w/vpav 554%- PATENTEB H5826I974- sum 6 or 5 MANURE SPREADER The invention relates to a manurespreader comprising a frame movable over the ground and a containerbeing mounted on said frame, dispensing means being located forsupplying liquid manure from thecontainer to the treatment site belowthe ground surface.

With known manure spreaders of this kind, the dispensing means forliquid manure is attached to the frame of the spreader on the rear sidethereof. Further, there must be included some kind of mechanism by meansof which, after the spreading has been effected, the dispenser can bemoved to an inoperative position and, heretofore, this has been donewith comparatively complicated construction.

The invention has for its object to provide a dispenser constructionthat facilitates the conversion of same to an inoperative position. Inaccordance with the invention, there is provided a manure spreadercomprising a frame movable over the ground, a container mounted on saidframe, and dispensing means having coupling points by means of which thedispenser is attachable to the three-point lift hitch of a tractor orother propelling vehicle. With this construction, the said dispenser canbe moved to an inoperative position by the simple lifting of thethree-point hitch of the tractor.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same maybe carried into effect, reference is made by way of example to theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the spreader in its operative position,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged scale of the forward part of the spreader shown inFIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the spreader shown in FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a side view of the forward part of the second embodiment of aspreader according to the invention, the spreader being in its operativeworking position,

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the spreader shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a view according to the line Vl-VI in FIG. 1

FIG. 7 is a section along the line VIIVII in FIG. 6, FIG. 8 is a sideview of the forward part of a third embodiment of a spreader accordingto the invention,

FIG. 9 is a view according to the line IX-IX in FIG. 8.

The embodiments shown in the Figures relate to a manure spreader whichcomprises a frame 1 supported by ground wheels 2 and on which acontainer 3 is mounted. The location of the supporting or ground wheels2 is such that in side view these wheels lie substantially in the centerof the container 3 which extends longitudinally in the direction oftravel of the spreader and which, during operation, lies substantiallyhorizontally, as is shown in FIG. 1. The frame 1 has, as seen in planview (FIG. 3) mainly a triangular form with upwardly extending sides 4that extend in the direction of travel and form a draw bar. The draw baris hingeably coupled at its forward end by means of a coupling piece 5and a pin 6 to a tag 7 on the rear side of the frame of a cultivator 8.The frame of the cultivator 8 comprises a box-shaped transverselyextending beam 9 in which a number of tined soil working members 10 aremounted, each of which is rotatable about a substantially vertical shaft11. Each shaft 11 is provided, inside the box-shaped beam 9 with acorresponding spurtoothed pinion not shown. I-Iereby the teeth ofneighboring pinions are in mesh with each other. The uppermost end ofone of the shafts of the center two soil working members 8 is extendedupwardly beyond the beam 9 to carry a bevel pinion at its uppermost end.The bevel pinion (not shown) is located in a gear box 12 disposed nearthe center of the cultivator and which also contains a bevel pinionwhose teeth are in driving mesh with those of the first-mentioned bevelpinion and which is mounted on a rotary shaft 13 which extendssubstantially parallel to the direction of travel of the spreader andwhich both at the front and the rear side of the gear box 12, emergesfrom the same.

The front side of the box-shaped beam 9 is provided with a support 14which can be coupled to the threepoint lifting hitch of a tractor and onits lower side carries a tube 15 which extends throughout the totalworking width of the cultivator in a transverse and substantiallyhorizontal direction. The tube 15 is, near its center, provided with aninlet 16 which by means of a conduct 17 is connected to an outlet 18 ofthe container 3. The tube 15 is at its rear side provided with a slot 19which extends throughout the whole length of the tube. The lowermostedge of the slot 19 comprises a strip 20 which extends obliquelydownwardly and to the rear and, during operation, travels over theground. The width of the slot 19 can be varied by means of an adjustableflap 21 which is turnable about a substantially horizontal axis 22disposed on the rear side of the tube 15 by means of an adjustingmechanism 23 which lies on one end of the tube (See FIG. 2). The flap 21can be brought into a number of positions for varying the width of theslot 19. The outlet 18 of the container 3 is provided with a closingvalve 24 which can be actuated by means of a lever 25 which is pivotallyconnected to the front of the container 3 and, further, is pivotallycoupled to a rod 26 which is pivotally connected to the upper side of anadjustable part of the valve.

In front of the container 3 there is mounted on the frame 1 a pump 27which by means of a conduit 28A is connected with the upper side of thecontainer 3. The pump 27 has a driving shaft 28 which by means ofuniversal joints 29 and a connecting shaft 30 is coupled to the rear endof the shaft 13 which emerges from the rear side of the gear box 12. Atthe rear of the container 3 there is provided an inlet 31 which includesa closing valve 32 which can be actuated from the front side of thecontainer 3 by means of a rod system 33 which at the front sidecomprises a lever 34. During operation the support 14 on the cultivator8 is coupled to the three-point linking hitch of a tractor whereas thedriving shaft 13 at the front of the gear box 12 is coupled by means ofuniversal joints and a connecting shaft to the p.t.o. power take off ofthe tractor. By means of the pump 27 the container 3 can be filled froma manure pit or the like via the inlet 31.

During operation, the spreader takes the position as shown in FIG. 1,whereby the implement is moved in the direction of the arrow A. The pump27 which can be driven as stated above from the rear side of the gearbox 12 of the cultivator 8, during operation, pressurizes the liquid inthe container 3 which after opening of the valve 24 in the inlet 18 atthe front side of the container through the conduct is brought into thelongitudinal, transversely extending tube 15 which lies in front of thecultivator and moves by means of the strip 20 at the lower edge of theslot 19 over the ground. Through the slot l9 the liquid manure is spreadonto the ground and by means of the rotating tine soil working members10 of the cultivator 8, is supplied to treat an area under the surfaceof the ground. By means of the adjustable flap 21 the spreading of themanure onto the ground can be regulated.

After emptying the container 3 by means of the three-point linking hitchthe cultivator can be lifted out of the ground whereby the frame 1carrying the container pivots about the axis of the ground supportingwheels 2 and can be transported.

With the aforementioned construction, the means for supplying liquidmanure under the surface of the ground which means is formed by thecombination of the described cultivator 8 and the tube-like member canbe easily lifted out of the ground after which the implement can betransported and driven back to a pit or the like for refilling thecontainer.

In the FIGS. 4-7, there is shown an embodiment whereby the means forbringing the liquid manure under the surface of the ground is differentfrom the means shown in the first embodiment. With the embodiment shownin FIGS. 4-7, the said means comprise a tube-like member 35 which is ofarcuate configuration with the legs 36 extending downwardly. The saidmember lies parallel to a vertical plane transverse to the direction oftravel of the implement. The lower ends of the legs 36 are provided withopenings for supplying the liquid manure into the soil. In front of eachof the openings there is provided a plow member 37 with a cutting edge37A which by means of bolts 38 and clamping pieces 38A can be secured tosupports 39 on the legs 36 of the tube-like member 35. I-Iereby each ofthe plow members 37 carry at their lower sides a sole 40 which extendsdownwardly from the supports 39. By loosening the bolts 38 the plowmembers can be replaced by other kinds of plow members. The highestpoint of the arcuate tube-like member 35 is provided with an inletopening 41 which by means of a conduct 42 is connected to the outlet 18of the container 3. At its front side, the tube-like member 35 isprovided with hitch points 43, 44 by means of which this tube-likemember can be coupled to the three-point hitch of a tractor. The lowerhitch points are secured to a horizontally extending support strip 45which is provided between the downwardly extending legs 36 of thetubelike member 35. In its middle, the strip 45 is provided with acoupling point 46 to which the coupling piece 5 of the draw bar of theframe 1 which carries the container 3 is hingeably connected. With thisembodiment, the pump 27 is directly coupled to the power take off bymeans of joints 47A and a connecting shaft 48A. During operation, theimplement can be moved into the direction of the arrow A as indicated inthe Figures. Hereby the plow members move through the ground and form afurrow in which liquid which can be dispensed from the container throughthe hose in the tube-like member from which it is dispensed via the legs36 in the soil. The plow members 37 are placed in such a way that theground-engaging wheels 2 of the container-carrying frame 1 move over theopened furrow and thus the furrow is closed again so that the liquidmanure is supplied correctly to the subsoil. After carrying out theoperation by means of the three-point hitching means, the dispenser,including the tube-like member 35, can be lifted as is shown and thespreader can be brought to the pit for refilling of the container.

With the embodiment shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the dispenser for supplyingliquid manure under the ground surface is afforded by a tube-like member47 in an U- form, which extends parallel to a plane normally to thedirection of travel A of the spreader. The tube-like member 47 comprisesa horizontally extending connecting portion 48 and two downwardlyextending legs 49. Each of the legs 49 is secured to the said connectingportion 48 by means of a flange 50. Near its free end each leg 49 has aninlet 51, which is disposed at the rear side and extends obliquelyupwards making an angle a of approximately 45 with the correspondingleg. The free end of each leg 49 carries a plow member 52 which by meansof clamps 53 and bolts 54 is secured to a leg 49. As is shown in FIG. 8the lower side of the free end of each leg 49 and the lower side ofaplow member 52 are inclined upwardly in a direction opposite to thedirection of travel of the spreader at an angle b of approximately 45.

The tube-like member 47 is provided at its front side with couplingmembers 55 and 56 for coupling the same to the three-point lifting hitchof the tractor.

Each inlet 51 is coupled to a conduct 57 which is connected to theoutlet of the container 3. In operation, liquid manure is brought fromthe container via the conducts 57 and the lower part of each of the legs49 into furrows made by each of the plow members 52. With thisembodiment, the frame carrying the container 3 by means of the couplingpiece 5 can be directly connected to a draw-hook at the rear of thetractor. Although not shown the tube-like members of the embodimentsshown in FIGS. 4-9 can be provided with more than two downwardlyextending legs.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specificfeatures and embodiments hereinabove described but may be carried out inother ways without departure from its spirit.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire toSecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A manure spreader comprising a frame movable over the ground and acontainer in communication with dispensing means supported on saidframe, means hingeably connecting said frame with said dispensing meansand said spreader having pivotable coupling points at its forwardportion for coupling the spreader to three-point lifting hitch of aprime mover, said dispensing means comprising conduit means and asubstantially rigid dispensing tube, said conduit means extendingforwardly of said container and being in communication with said rigiddispensing tube, said tube having a lower portion extending under theground surface and opening means in said lower portion, said tube, inpart, extending substantially horizontal and transverse relative to thenormal direction of travel of the spreader, soil penetrating meanssupported on the lower portion of said tube and said dispensing tubebeing vertically movable by said three point lifting hitch to aninoperative position together with said soil penetrating means as aunit.

2. A spreader as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tube has at least oneopening and a sub soil plow memher is positioned adjacent said opening.

3. A spreader as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tube has an arcuateconfiguration with downwardly extending legs and each of said legs hasan opening adjacent its lower end with a plow member being positionedadjacent each opening.

4. A spreader as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tube is U-forrn inconfiguration with downwardly extending legs, the rear side of each leghaving an inlet for receiving fertilizer from said container and a plowmember at the lower ends of said legs.

5. A spreader as claimed in claim 4, wherein the lower end of a leg andits plow member, are inclined upwardly in a direction opposite to thedirection of travel of the spreader.

6. A spreader as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tube has a rearcoupling point and said frame is hingeably connected to said couplingpoint.

7. A spreader as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tube has a pluralityof coupling points which are connectable to the three-point hitch of theprime mover.

8. A spreader as claimed in claim 1, wherein a pump is mounted on saidframe and connected to said container for filling same with fertilizerand by means of which said fertilizer can be pressured to saiddispensing means, an outlet at the front of said container with a valvepositioned to control said outlet, said container having a valved inletat the rear thereof.

9. A spreader as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pivotable couplingpoints are secured to said dispensing means and said spreader ispivotably connectable to the prime mover through said dispensing means.

1. A manure spreader comprising a frame movable over the ground and acontainer in communication with dispensing means supported on saidframe, means hingeably connecting said frame with said dispensing meansand said spreader having pivotable coupling points at its forwardportion for coupling the spreader to threepoint lifting hitch of a primemover, said dispensing means comprising conduit means and asubstantially rigid dispensing tube, said conduit means extendingforwardly of said container and being in communication with said rigiddispensing tube, said tube having a lower portion extending under theground surface and opening means in said lower portion, said tube, inpart, extending substantially horizontal and transverse relative to thenormal direction of travel of the spreader, soil penetrating meanssupported on the lower portion of said tube and said dispensing tubebeing vertically movable by said three point lifting hitch to aninoperative position together with said soil penetrating means as aunit.
 2. A spreader as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tube has atleast one opening and a sub soil plow member is positioned adjacent saidopening.
 3. A spreader as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tube has anarcuate configuration with downwardly extending legs and each of saidlegs has an opening adjacent its lower end with a plow member beingpositioned adjacent each opening.
 4. A spreader as claimed in claim 1,wherein said tube is U-form in configuration with downwardly extendinglegs, the rear side of each leg having an inlet for receiving fertilizerfrom said container and a plow member at the lower ends of said legs. 5.A spreader as claimed in claim 4, wherein the lower end of a leg and itsplow member, are inclined upwardly in a direction opposite to thedirection of travel of the spreader.
 6. A spreader as claimed in claim1, wherein said tube has a rear coupling point and said frame ishingeably connected to said coupling point.
 7. A spreader as claimed inclaim 1, wherein said tube has a plurality of coupling points which areconnectable to the three-point hitch of the prime mover.
 8. A spreaderas claimed in claim 1, wherein a pump is mounted on said frame andconnected to said container for filling same with fertilizer and bymeans of which said fertilizer can be pressured to said dispensingmeans, an outlet at the front of said container with a valve positionedto control said outlet, said container having a valved inlet at the rearthereof.
 9. A spreader as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pivotablecoupling points are secured to said dispensing means and said spReaderis pivotably connectable to the prime mover through said dispensingmeans.